Skip to main content
Inside The Celtics

Top 5 Plays from Celtics-Cavaliers

From Jaylen Brown showing off his handles to Darius Garland doing the same, a thunderous throwdown from Enes Freedom, Robert Williams turning defense into points, and Joe Johnson's return, here's what stood out from Wednesday's game between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Bobby Krivitsky|
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

From Jaylen Brown showing off his handles to Darius Garland doing the same, a thunderous throwdown from Enes Freedom, Robert Williams turning defense into points, and Joe Johnson's return, here's what stood out from Wednesday's game between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Jaylen Brown Goes Deep in His Bag

Jaylen Brown's handles have come a long way since he entered the league. Here, he goes deep into his bag, going from a crossover to a between-the-legs dribble, crossing the ball behind his back, and finishing with a behind-the-back step-back dribble before swishing a fadeaway jumper to cap off a play that will be in every highlight reel of this game.

Run the Floor, Reap the Benefits

Marcus Smart pressures Lauri Markkanen, leading to a horrible pass from Dean Wade that ignites the Celtics' fast break. Jayson Tatum gets the steal, pushes the pace, and goes right at Wade at the other end. Tatum then rewards Enes Freedom for running the floor, and the big man throws down a ferocious one-handed dunk that catches everyone by surprise, except for him, perhaps.

Robert Williams Steals, Euro Steps, and Slams

After Kevin Love tracks down a long rebound following a missed three by Cedi Osman, Love tries to fling the ball from the left corner to Kevin Pangos, who's on the right wing. When Love cocks his arm back, Robert Williams has a foot touching the semi-circle that represents the restricted area. But The Timelord goes into a sprint and utilizes his preposterously long limbs to cover the necessary ground to intercept the pass. Williams then heads the other way, dribbling by Pangos and euro stepping past Darius Garland en route to a dunk.

Darius Garland Goes Behind-the-Back Twice, Finishes with an Underhanded Floater

Darius Garland is one of the NBA's rising stars. While his team, playing short-handed, didn't get the win on Wednesday, he lived up to that billing, scoring 28 points, distributing six assists, and swiping three steals.

In the play shown above, Tatum steps up to defend Garland, and the latter goes right at him. After an in-and-out dribble, the Cavaliers' franchise guard goes behind his back twice, once in each direction, then releases an underhanded floater before Romeo Langford can contest his shot, which banks in, and he gets fouled. And yes, Garland made the free throw.

The Return of Iso Joe

Seven thousand two hundred forty-five days after Rick Pitino traded Joe Johnson to the Phoenix Suns, the Celtics brought him back to help a depleted roster and provide veteran leadership, bringing his career full circle.

In the final stages of his first game back with the green and white, loud "We want Joe (Johnson)" chants broke out from the crowd at the TD Garden. Shortly after that, Udoka obliged, bringing the 17-year veteran and several reserves in to finish the game.

Not one to disappoint, the seven-time All-Star showed he's still plenty capable of living up to his moniker, Iso Joe.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

Share on XFollow @BobbyKrivitsky
Home/Top Stories